


Frozen in Time

by just_ann_now



Category: Swordspoint - Kushner
Genre: Established Relationship, Ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-04
Updated: 2010-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-05 18:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_ann_now/pseuds/just_ann_now
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec is all in favor of Scientific Advancements; Richard, of course, has his doubts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frozen in Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [furloughday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/furloughday/gifts).



> Furloughday in her journal asked for a picture story. I've had the picture for some time, just waiting for the story to appear. Happy birthday! (Edit: I'm sorry the gift dedication was accidentally omitted when I posted this on 1/4. Please accept my apologies and best wishes for a _belated_ birthday.)   
> 
> 
>   
> **The Duke Tremontaine and his Consort**

"I don't understand why we're doing this," Richard grumbled.

"Where's your sense of adventure? It's new, it's exciting! Chemical portraiture - you know I've been funding experiments at the university for months now. No more long tedious portrait sittings, and then being dissatisfied with how it all comes out at the end. An actual image, frozen in time for all posterity, protected under glass - what's not to love?"

"It's alchemy; no good will come of it. I always thought mirrors were bad enough. How do you know your spirit won't be captured in there, by some odd wizardry?"

"I never imagined you to be such a superstitious peasant." Richard snorted at him, shaking his head. "Wizards are long gone; 'tis the Age of Reason. A bit of judicious investment here, some encouragement of promising natural scientists, and we'll end up rich beyond our wildest dreams..."

Richard's lips brushed against Alec's ear. "I'm already rich beyond my wildest dreams."

"Well, I'm not. My dreams can get quite a bit wilder, you can be sure of that. There's no such thing as too much money."

"You know there is. They won't love you for it, here on the hill; it's bad enough you're shoving me down their throats, calling me your 'consort', without getting richer from some sort of black magic - "

"Hush, now." Long slender fingers rested on the small of Richard's back. "Money's the only thing they understand here; money and _style._ Look at us! We've got it all. We're on top of the world; nothing can touch us."

The was a loud _flumpf!_ from behind the device, a flash of flame followed a cloud of foul-smelling smoke and ashes. "Sorry, " said the chemical portraitist, bobbing his head up from behind the draperies. "We're still working some of the bugs out -"

Richard stifled a laugh while Alec brushed cinders from his heavily-embroidered linen cuffs. "Well, go home and work on it some more. I want to see our portrait hanging in my Grand Ballroom by MidWinter."

~*~

Come MidWinter, their Chemical Portrait was a nine-day's-wonder, though not entirely for the reason Tremontaine expected. Richard still had his doubts, but he couldn't help being fascinated by the gleaming color of Alec's hair, the warm tones of his skin, the perfect beauty of Alec's fingers entwined with his.


End file.
